Ethiopia: State Minister Ambassador Berhane Held Talks With U.S. Special Representative to Somalia

Addis Ababa, 20 Dec 2013 (SDN) -State Minister Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Christos received a US delegation led by James Mc Anulty , US Special Representative to Somalia at his offices.

The Special Envoy expressed his appreciation to Ethiopia’s continued commitment to stability in Somalia and the region as a whole and for its support in hosting huge number of war displaced Somalis. He also mentioned USA’s interest in further bolstering counter-terrorism cooperation within the region in general and Ethiopia in particular.

Speaking of current security situation in Somalia, he said “defeating Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Shabaab requires not only a military solution but also political solution in the form of better provision of basic pubic basic services which also helps to bring progress in the counter-terrorism narrative.” Ambassador Berhane for his part noted that Ethiopia and USA share values in countering terrorism in the region.

He said “terrorism is a great concern for us and we will continue to contribute whatever we can to make our region safer through the global counter terrorism efforts.” He said the Ethiopian troops which will soon join AMISOM forces will help Ethiopia to contribute to Somalia’s stability in a more effective way. He affirmed Ethiopia’s readiness to closely work with USA for stability of Somalia.